Clato: Twinkle Twinkle Little Bitches
by Faye the victor
Summary: Clove was always the leader of the mean girl squad. Until her junior year. Then her so-called "friends" painted a target in red on her back, that's never coming off. To top that off, her father beats her. Can Cato save her before it's too late? *Update* Yes, this summary will still be in effect. Just read... And I update this story often:)
1. Prologue n stuff

**Hello, Lovelys! I really hope you like it! **

**_Prologue_  
**

**Freshman year, September**

Clove stood with her friends at the District two mall, making fun of an obese old woman.

"Fat ass!" Carmen, Clove's second in command yelled

"Why don't you lose a couple pounds?" Clove said. "Or maybe a hundred!" And then the four girls burst out laughing.

"Hey, Carmen," Clove said. "Do you think Weight Watchers would even consider her?" She said loudly.

"I don't know. What does she weigh, like 500 pounds?" Carmen replied.

"More like 550!" Casper said. Casper was the newest mean girl recruit.

"Ha-_ha_" Clove laughed, and high fived Casper.

"Maybe she is really a baby Beluga!" Said Carley. These girls were cruel.

The old woman started crying. The girls laughed even harder. Clove ended up squeezing her slushy so hard, it squirted all over Casper's new wet seal top.

"Go get me a new slushy, bitch!" Clove said laughing. The newbie did as her leader said. Clove looked around with a smirk on her face. Her smirk grew into a grin as she saw someone coming towards her. Marvel. Her boyfriend.

"Well, if it isn't the Four C's. Where's the newbie?" He asked before kissing Clove quickly.

"Casper is getting me a new slushy." Clove said returning the kiss. But before she could, Marvel's friend grabbed his arm and pulled him away saying they were late for Football practice.

Clove frowned as she watched her boyfriend be carried away. Damn.

**Sophomore**** year, September**

Clove walked through the halls, her growing group of minions following. There are now six of them. Clove, Carmen, Carley, and Casper, then Casey and Collet. The six of them ruled the hallways. Girls feared them, boys loved them.

Carmen pushed a blonde, blue eyed boy out of Clove's way. Clove glanced at the boy, her nose pointed up slightly. The boy stared into her eyes, and Clove was lost. His eyes were like the ocean. She had only seen it once, when she visited District four. She could dive into that boys eyes and swim in them. She was entranced.

Suddenly, the boy looked away. She snapped her head forward, and continued on to science class.

**Junior year, December**

The second Clove stepped out of her father's car, he sped away, splashing Clove with muddy water. Her old friends, Carmen, Carley, Casper, Casey and Collet, laughed at her. Carley was the second in command. Carmen was dating Marvel, little bitch.

Actually, Clove could have sworn she saw Collet give her a sympathetic look. Clove looked away, and started walking. She didn't want anything to do with them anymore. They were now her tormentors.

_**End Prologue**_

**Senior year, May (present tense)**

As I finish writing my notes, the bell signalling the end of sixth period goes off. Next I have PE, and then I am off to my house.

I am failing almost all my classes. This is the only class I am good at. History. I put my notes in my binder, grab my bag, and make my way to my locker.

In PE, we play dodge ball. I get hit about ten times at once. Great.

**Later that day, Cloves house**

"Get away from me!" I scream at my father, Jefferey.

"Get back here, you little bitch!" He screams back.

I had hid in the bathroom under the stairs and am now locking the door. Jefferey pounds on the door, a baseball bat in hand. "Never!" I yell.

"I swear on your mother's grave, Clove." He starts hitting the door with the bat. "If you don't come out, I'll fucking kill you!"

I don't believe him. I stay where I am. Jeffery manages to pick the lock somehow. The door swings open.

"I told you, little girl!" He screams. I jump back in fear, and then the beating comes.

**Cato's POV**

I walk down the sidewalk, thinking about what my life would be like if I lived in these apartments. This is the poor side of the district. I would be starving most of the time. I wouldn't be able to train to be a Peacekeeper. I would-

My thoughts are interrupted by screaming and the sound impact coming from one of the apartments. I look over to it, and recognize it. A girl I know lives there. I tutor her. She used to be one of the mean girls, until last year. Now she has a target on her back.

I walk up to the door, and knock. The house goes quiet, and then I hear someone mumble something. I hear a lock click, and the door opens a crack.

"What do you want?" I hear a voice say.

"Clove? It's Cato." I say. The door opens a bit wider, and I see one of her blue eyes that is surrounded by eyeliner.

"What are you doing here?" She asks quietly.

"I wanted to see if you could hang out." I lie.

Clove turned her body, accidentally opening the door wider, and revealing her arm. It is black, blue, and covered with cuts. Without thinking, I push the door open to find a middle-aged man standing behind her holding a bat. I see Clove fully now, and her entire body matches her arm.

"What the hell?" I yell.

"Cato, leave now." Clove hisses.

"Get out of here, kid." The man says angrily. No way I am leaving Clove.

**Clove's POV**

I can only imagine what this looks like to Cato. I see anger in his face, which scares me a little. All the sudden, I am being pulled into Cato's arms and he is leading me away from my house. Well, we are more of running. Fast. My father leaps out of the front door, chasing after us. I can't even imagine what he'll do to Cato.

"Faster, Clove!" Cato whisper/yells.

"Where are we going?" I say in equal tone.

"My house." He says even quieter


	2. BANG

**Hello, Lovelys! Here it is, chapter 2!**

Cato eventually had to carry me, my legs would no longer hold my weight. They were so wobbly, and unstable. I am too under fed, too weak. I don't know if I could make it much longer. Starvation is not uncommon in the districts. One day you're just miserable, the next, you're dead. It could be any one. Any one.

"You're staying here." Cato says, breaking the silence. Cato had carried me all the way across District two, all the way to his house. "Don't worry about my parents. They are in District 3, supervising new Peacekeepers. They're not coming back until September."

Cato sits beside me, on his bed. I nod my head, silently agreeing. I haven't really taken in my surroundings yet. His room is simple, a large bed, a desk, a dresser. Not even a closet. The only thing interesting is a sword on the wall, held up at the hilt with a two nails on either side.

"There is a guest bedroom you can stay in. I'll show you to it." He grabs my arm gently, standing me up and taking me down the hall. Turning left, I see an open door leading to a small room. More the size of a large closet, really. "It's not much, but it will do. There is a shower, bath, food, whatever you need." He finishes.

I walk into the room, and sit on the beige bed. "Thank you. This means a lot." I say. I don't think I have ever actually thanked any one before. It was always, 'You could have done better.' or just complaining. But not since I realized what a horrible person I am.

"It's the right thing to do." then he leaves. I don't know why he would do this. I don't know why any one would do this for me. I have never been nice to a single living creature. I have always been a bitch. And I hate myself for that.

I decide I should wash the blood off me, I have school tomorrow. I unstably make my way down stairs, and into the kitchen, where I find Cato working on his home work.

I stand in the door way for a minute, observing him. I watch his every move. The way he moves his large hand while writing. His facial expressions. The way his blue eyes study each problem so intently, it almost seems like he is a surgeon performing an open-heart surgery. The relief that floods his face when his calculator confirms that he has the right answer. My eyes are fixed on his heart-shaped face when he looks up and sees me watching.

"Hey." He says coolly. He smiles slightly. I get a warm feeling, that I have never felt before. What does it mean?

"Where are the towels?" I ask quietly, remembering why I came down.

"Under the sink in the bathroom." He says, almost sounding disappointed.

"Okay." I take a sharp breath in. "Thanks."

He smiles and nods once. His smile is perfect, the way his plump lips curl up, making every girl, I'm sure, swoon.

I return the smile, then find my way to the upstairs bathroom. It is a warm toned room, with a full shower and everything. In the poor side of the district, we only have baths. And no one can afford hot water.

I am able to work the shower, seeing as I only recently in the last couple years moved to the poor side. When everything started going into a down-ward spiral at school, the same seemed to be happening to Jefferey. He lost his job as head Peacekeeper, and was given the job of protecting the hospital. Which is very low pay.

I strip down slowly, examining myself in the mirror. I am black and blue, maybe a little red, too. Hey, that rhymed.

Jefferey made sure to beat me 'well', as he would say. I am sure Cato saw the cuts on my wrists, too. That's what me and my so-called 'father' were arguing about. He thought it was pathetic, and I didn't feel like taking his BS, and standing up for myself always ends with a beating. I never learn, do I?

As I step into the shower, the floor creaks, causing me to jump a little. Bad reaction. I jump into the shower, slip, and land with a loud 'bang'. I am also sure Cato heard that. Great.

My head hits the ground harder than the rest of my body, causing my vision to go dark. The last thing I see is Cato rushing into the room.

**WHOA****! DETAILS, DETAILS! WAY TO GO! Thank you, wonderful people for reading! R&R, please!**


	3. Definitely nervous

**Hello, Lovelys! SURPRISE CHAPTER! Yes, there will be surprise chapters! That means I will post chapters before the scheduled day! I know, I know, you love me. Enjoy!**

Soft fingers gently caress my face. This gesture is soothing, welcoming. I smile. I don't know who these fingers belong to, but I don't want them to go away. I want them here with me in this eternal darkness, forever soothing me with their gentle touch. Forever assuring me that I am not alone. That there is someone who cares, but I just don't know who. I don't care who, though. Just what they are doing. I have never had anyone touch me this way. This intimately. I like it. The fingers outline my lips, as a voice calls. A soft voice, in the distance. A male voice.

"Clove, wake up." It says, deep and alluring. I didn't know I was asleep.

I open my eyes slowly, to see blue ones staring lovingly into mine. I have seen them before, their ocean blue irises. The way they entrance me so, I could stare at them all day. Then I remember. In the hallway. Sophomore year. A boy. Carmen pushed him. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Oh, so blue.

"Cato." The word escapes my lips.

"I'm here." The voice says, which seems to belong to the eyes. And the eyes belong to Cato.

I try to sit up, but he softly pushes me down. "You hit your head pretty hard. You don't seem to have a concussion, though." He says soothingly.

"What happened?" I ask, wanting to know more.

"You were going to take a shower, but somehow you slipped and hit your head. Don't worry, you forgot to take off your bra and underwear, so you weren't totally naked when I found you." He explains.

I look down, to see I am wearing a loose, blue nightgown that must belong to his mother. The fabric is soft against my skin, reminding me of a blanket I had when I was little. It was the same color, same fabric. It was torn and old, but ever so soft. When I would get scared, I would run and get it. It was my source of comfort. Jefferey told me it was my mother's.

"Who was the man standing behind you? At your house?" Cato asks, breaking me away from my thoughts.

"My father. Jefferey. He doesn't deserve to be called a father, though." I explain. When I was young, he hired a nanny to take care of me. Up until I was 10. Then I was on my own. And even then, all she did was make sure I wasn't dying of hunger.

"Clearly." Cato replies. I notice he is sitting with my head on his lap. We are on his bed.

"I feel better now. Could I take a bath now?" I question.

"Okay. When you're done, come down and we'll eat. We're not going to school tomorrow." He decides.

"Why not?" I ask, clueless. Clueless, but thankful.

"Because you have a black eye. And I need to stay here to take care of you. Besides, we need to report your- er- Jefferey." He says.

"Good idea." I agree.

Cato helps me to the bathroom, then leaves me to undress. He waits outside the door, though, waiting for me to say I am sitting in the bath. Making sure I don't slip again. When I am finally situated, he goes to get working on dinner. He said we're having macaroni and cheese. Goat cheese, of course. Only people in the Capital can afford cow cheese. I like goat cheese, though. It's good.

I slowly scrub my skin, making sure to be extra careful with my face and bruises. The warm water feels nice, bringing heat back into my body. I feel as if I am scrubbing away my old life, everything I have ever experienced. I feel as if it will wash down the drain with all the water and soap. All the blood and sweat. All the tears. Gone. Forever. In the abyss.

**Cato's POV**

As the water starts boiling, I dump the noodles into the pot. This is one of the few things I know how to cook, one of the few things my mother taught me before going away for months.

I watch the water, thinking of my parents. I rarely see them. And when I do, they are only here for a week to get new Peacekeepers that are just coming out of training and do paper work. Never any time for me, though. So, this is basically my house. But they pay for it. And put money on my credit card for things I need. Anything I need. Except my parents. No, I don't get those.

Once they get back in September, they are going to be going away after a week. Then returning in January. Wait a week. Leave. Then coming back in May. Then leaving a week after. Then staying away until September. Repeat. That's how it always is. And always will be. I told them that I am not going to be a Peacekeeper, and them being them, said they would continue paying for my place to live as long as I made a family. Not that I intend to.

I stir the noodles, add oil, stir some more, then test them. Their soft. I grab an oven mitt, poor them into the strainer in the sink. Then poor them into the pot. As I add in the goat cheese, I hear the ceiling creek. Clove must be getting out of the bath.

Sure enough, two minutes later, she is walking into the kitchen. Her hair is damp, she has a black eye, her blue eyes are filled with sorrow, her pale skin is riddled with bruises, yet, she still looks like an angel.

**Clove's POV**

Cato smiles at me, making me feel warm again. I rub my hands over the blue dress he had put on my bed for me. I only do that when I'm nervous, though. And I am not nervous. Or am I?

"Just in time." He says smiling. I get warmer. Yep, definitely nervous.


	4. Cato was, in fact, right

**Hello, Lovelys! I am writing this chapter today, Wednesday so, sorry if it isn't up until around evening. I am sooo ecstatic that people are loving my story! I love you guys, you are amazing! Oh, and I am writing my own book, "Teen Fog". I don't know if it will actually be published, but I hope so! I will tell you guys if/when it comes out, so, you can check it out if you want!**

"The economy, is crashing. The Mall has been shut down until further notice. Citizens of Panem should be expecting food shortages, along with school shutdowns and-" Cato clicks off the TV.

"That's depressing." I say. I look over at Cato, who is now getting up and going to the kitchen. I follow.

"If there really are food shortages, we need to stock up." He says, examining the half empty cub boards.

Our dishes were still in the sink, from eating dinner. It was delicious. The goat cheese had melted in my mouth, it's sourness perfectly balanced by the basil and pepper.

"We are still turning in Jefferey tomorrow, right?" I ask.

Cato looks at me confused. "Why wouldn't we?" He questions and goes back to the inventory of food.

"Well, we didn't catch the end of the news. They could be shutting down the Peacekeepers station." I explain.

He laughs a little. "Clove, I think they're going to keep it open. The Peacekeepers are going to be needed." He looks at me, his eyes stone cold. "I can guarantee that there will be riots."

**XXX**

Cato is, in fact, right. Riots are breaking out all over the country. District eight being the worst. And, the Peacekeeper station is open, of course. Meaning, we successfully turned in Jefferey. They didn't even bother having a court date, just sent him straight to prison. Odd as it is, they probably don't have much time for drunken fathers.

"Clove?" Cato called. I had been hiding from the noises outside for hours. The yelling, curses, sounds of anarchy. All too familiar.

"Clove, where are you?" His voice was getting closer, right outside the closet I was in, seemingly.

He opens the closet door, causing dim light to flood the compartment. "There you are." He kneels down to me, placing his hands on my knees. "We need to go."

I look at him puzzled. "Why?"

"Because it's not safe here right now." He says, taking my hands in his and helping me stand. I feel like a little kid.

"Why are you helping me?" I finally ask. The question has been digging a whole in my brain ever since he pulled me away from my house.

He looks down, and ignores my question. "I'll help you pack." He says leading me down the hall.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"Where the smart people going." He says. He looks at me, seeing the confusion on my face. Then explains. "District 13."

**I am so sorry it is a short chapter, but I have lots in store for you. **


	5. OOF!

**Hello, Lovelys! Oh Mah Sweet Baby Jesus. You guys should check out "Lost in your Dangerous Love" by ClovelyLittleReader. I am in love with it. Okay, Next chapta!**

"Hurry, Clove!" Cato whispers. "Just jump! I'll catch you!" He promises. I am sitting on the 10 ft. high concrete wall surrounding District two. It had been put up a week before the riots began, before anyone even knew about the shortages.

I close my eyes, hoping it helps. I take a deep breath, and let myself slide off of the wall. I exhale before I hit the ground. A sharp pain shoots up my shins, making me yelp. I feel hands on me and then I am running. Running away from District two. My home.

**Cato's POV**

"If we get caught, we're dead!" Clove hisses as we run to the cover of the wooded mountains. We have to scale them to actually be out of the district, which shouldn't take to long. A day on foot, maybe.

"Don't worry! The Peacekeepers are to preoccupied with the riots to notice us." I say in equal tone.

She looks at me, as if deciding something. Her blue eyes twinkle in the moon light. Her dark hair is flowing in waves over her pale shoulders. A beautiful sight. I suddenly get a strong urge, and unknowingly act on it.

**Clove's POV**

Before I know what is happening, Cato's hands are on my waste and his lips are on mine. I don't know how to react at first, but then I find myself kissing him back.

His lips taste sweet, not in a disgusting way, but in the way that makes you want more. I _have _always had a sweet tooth.

Cato pulls me up against him, enveloping my body with his musty scent. So manly, so... Cato

**Cato's POV AN: I might be doing a lot of the story in Cato's POV, but we'll see;)**

I am so lost in Clove, the only thing that pulls me from her is the sound of a crash. When I look, I see that part of the concrete wall has been knocked over by a squad of construction workers with a wrecking ball.

"Come on," I say.

I grab her hand and pull her away from the scene, into the dark.

**XXX**

We run for quite a time, until we reach a flat plain covered with trees at the top of a small mountain. That's the easy part. The hard part is going down, because if you don't go slow, you could end up running off a cliff. There are so many rocks and drop-offs. And to add to that, District two is right next to the Capital, so when going down, you have to be careful not to be seen. Cursed mutants.

"I need to rest," Clove says, panting. I nod, not only because we _both_ need rest, but because the sun is coming up and we have to travel at night.

"Come on, we can't stay down here. We'll sleep in a tree." I say. She looks at me like I am crazy, but I just walk to a large pine with slightly deformed branches, perfect for sleeping on.

**XXX**

**Clove's POV**

My back is aching, my head throbbing, my neck cramped. My body does not enjoy sleeping in trees.

The sun is already setting, casting an orange glow over the whole sky. It would be beautiful, if it wasn't for our situation.

Cato is on the ground, stretching, yawning and cracking his knuckles. I smile, not realizing it. He is so adorable when he is tired. _What? Clove, did you hear what you just thought?_

"You're up." Cato says. He smiles at me, making my heart skip a beat. _Stop it. Cato, why do you do this to me?! _"We have about half an hour before we have to get moving." I just look at him, but then decide to get down. I turn away, getting my foot in place. "So.. what do you want to do?"

I wait until I have gotten to a reasonable place, then jump down. I turn to Cato, and say, " Get food?" He looks at me questioningly. "We have food. But it's not going to be a short trip to 13. If it even exists." I point out. He looks at me, his blue eyes shimmering in the fading light. "It's just a rumor, Cato." I say more softly.

"I know," He says looking at the ground. "I just need _something_ to hope for. Besides, we can't go back now. Did you see what was happening? They were killing each other!" He exclaims, pointing back to our recently abandoned district.

"Okay, okay. I just think- _OOF!"_

**Heha! Cliffeh! Don't worry, I already have chapter six half way done;)**


	6. I hope he felt the same

**Hello, Lovelys! I am writing a bunch of chapters, then posting them. SO, I will be posting about 2-4 at a time. But here you are! **

I am thrown back into Cato, causing us to fly into a large tree. I can't hear anything, but a constant ring. Smoke is billowing in the wind, blurring my vision, as more forces beat against us. I have no idea what is going on.

Cato grabs a hold of my shirt, pulling me behind boulders. I look at his face. He is saying, or _screaming _something. I think he is saying, "Bombs".

**XXX**

We are still behind the boulders, when my hearing returns. I can now hear loud booms, ringing, screams, and Cato and myself's heavy breathing.

I grab onto Cato shoulders and pull him to me, hugging him tightly. I am so scared, not just for us, but for the district. All the children, babies, all of them.

I don't realize that I have been crying until a lump closes off my throat. Another round of bombs goes off, causing Cato to hold me tighter. I am shaking, I know it.

"It'll be okay." Cato whispers in my ear before I black out.

**XXX**

"Clove, come on. Wake up." Cato pleads. His hand smoothly runs across my cheek. I slowly open my eyes, and see Cato, his lips forming words to quiet for my ears to catch. I sit up, suddenly aware of the recent events.

"They're all dead." I say, my voice breaking.

"Shhh. I know. We have to keep going, though. Come on." He says gently. He grabs my hand, pulling me to my feet.

We grab our bags, sling them over our shoulders, and start our long trek into darkness. The smell of burning flesh, plastic, and metal fills my nose. My heart pains for all the lost souls. Innocent people. Gone.

Since District two was mainly hills, this is not a whole lot different from it. Only here, there are no streets. No civilization, or _any _ people for that matter.

I try to enjoy our walk, as much as I can, but it's hard when there are rocks everywhere, you're going down hill, snakes are hiding in the most inconvenient places, and you are always at risk of falling to your death. _Oh, joy._

I try to imagine that some people must have made it. I mean, we can't be the _only_ refugees. After all, Cato did say all the smart people were trying to go to 13. _Wait, wait, wait. Where is 13?_

"Cato!" I exclaim. He looks at me startled. "We don't know where District 13 is!"

He looks away, sighing. "I am praying that is it beyond 12." He keeps walking.

500 years ago, 13 districts rebelled against the Capital. In turn, the Capital destroyed 13. Now, the legend says, that 13 is still thriving and alive. Without population control. Without all of these power hungry politicians like President Snow, or vice president Paylor. Without all these "accidental" deaths when someone "steps out of line".

When I was little, I liked to believe, that I could escape to that place. I would go to sleep at night dreaming of my neverland. Even though I believed in it with 99% of my heart there was still that 1% percent of pure doubt.

That little one percent of doubt, was painfully confirmed when Jefferey told me off about it. He had said that only little children (even though I was 7) believed in fairy tales such as District 13.

Then, when I was 13, he found my diary, that was from when I was 7. He had another fit. I was so lost on what to feel. My world had been shattered, again. No matter how imaginary it was, it was still the only thought that got me through the night. After his outburst, I went to my room, to do the one thing I could get right. Feel pain.

I still remember the poem I wrote at 14, by heart.

_Holding on to hope,_  
_Never letting go._  
_Once you've had your spirits crushed,_  
_It's all you can do to not break._

**XXX**

Cato and I took a path that shortened the trip by about two hours. It's more dangerous, but cuts straight down the mountain instead of twisting and turning around and around. We got to the valley in between the mountains of the Capital and District 2 before sunrise. We decided to sleep in a tree. Again.

I keep thinking about the spontaneous kiss we shared before our short hike up the mountain. _What did it mean? _I have been to nervous to ask, this is not exactly prime time to bring up awkward conversations. Or maybe it wouldn't be awkward. Maybe we would kiss again. I really want to kiss him again. His lips were warm and sweet. And oh, his hands felt like electricity. I liked his hands on me. It felt almost... Like it was meant to be. Like his hands _belonged_ on my body. I hope he felt the same.

**Okay, the next chapter will be up soon. I promise. And next chapter starts when they are just past District 10.**


	7. Beautiful face

**Hello, Lovelys! Okay, I skipped. I skipped. I wanted to get to more important stuff, and I didn't really want to have to write about nothing. Don't worry, fluff is coming! Enjoy!**

I quickly scrub dirt off my hands, the cold water from the stream not exactly helping. My hands are shaking, fingers numb. I hate it, hate it, hate it, hate it! I can't do anything with them like this, and the dirt is only becoming harder and harder. I silently curse myself for not bringing soap. If I had, I would already be done. But no, Cato had to rush me. God, I am getting tired of his bull-

"Clove, hurry! They're coming!" Speak of the god damned devil.

I huff, fling my hands out of the water, wipe them on my shirt, and run to where he is. _He better be right about 13, or I am going to have to punch his pretty little face. I hate being dirty!_ He looks at me with his soft eyes, smirking. Suddenly, I feel something I haven't in months, when we first embarked on our _pain in the ass _journey. I study his face carefully, glaring. He knows not to rush me.

"Come on." He says as he ushers me into a small cave. We have been hiding here for two nights, while we gather food and rest. Lucky for us, we have just passed some District 10 refugees, who had butcher meat to spare. And we are in the middle of passing District 11. Light and beautiful the district may be, but outside it's all rock.

I sit down carefully on the striped blanket on the floor of the cave. It is not as uncomfortable as it sounds, we have several comforters underneath it for when we pass colder districts. We not only have to have extra blankets, but we have to snuggle together for dear life. Not that I mind, but when you are sleeping in a tree, or in a tiny little den, it is uncomfortable for _one _person. Never mind two. So, each night, or day, actually, I end up on top of him, while he has a hard-on. Sometimes I forget he is a hormone-riddled-teenager.

Cato has been tinkering with a radio, trying to get a signal to hear the news. He walks to the entrance of the cave, then finally gets to a station. I can't really hear it, but I catch "District 3" Bombs" "No survivors."

Wait, he said at some point his parents were in district 3. They wouldn't have been able to leave, even with their position as the bosses of head Peacekeepers. No survivors would mean- _Oh, no. _

I stand up, walking to him slowly and carefully. "Cato?" I say. I put my hand on his shoulder. I can feel him start to shake, as he leaned his head down into his palm. I can hear sobs escaping his lips, as he doubles over. He turns toward me, lying in the fetal position. Tears stream to the ground.

I kneel down beside him, petting his head, saying soothing words. He never told me much _about _his parents. Just that they supervised new Peacekeepers. Cato squeezes his eyes shut, his face contorting with emotion. He takes deep, ragged, quick breathes. He opens his eyes briefly, just to look at me. Then, once again, closes them. I've never seen him like this. I feel tears in my own eyes, sympathy tears.

"Cato... It's going to be okay. Shhhh." I have never really been good at this whole comforting thing, but the words at least calm me.

"I never even knew them!" He exclaims. "I only ever saw them a week every few months! Then they were g-gone and-" and he is over taken with sobs again.

He sits up, wipes his tears, and takes slow breathes. Slow, but still ragged. I can't stand seeing him so small, so weak, so _exposed_. I can't stand seeing him cry, so I am going to do all I can to make him feel better.

**Cato's POV**

I can't speak, I can hardly breath, and Clove is watching me cry. I don't care, though. My parents are dead, and what hurts the most is that I never got to _know_ them. Clove grabs my shoulders, pulling me into her warmth. We sit like this for a moment, then she stands, taking me with her.

She sits me down on our bed, sits down beside me. I lay down with my head on her lap, as she coos and whispers soothing things. They really do help, but not much. Her soft fingers run along my features, as if painting on a delicate flower, though my face is anything but. My eyes are closed, so I can't _see_ her, but I can _feel_ her bend down and gently kiss my lips.

Her lips are soft, dreamlike. It feels kinda funny kissing upside down, not like I'm going to complain, though. Her hands cup my face, her lips lingering on mine for some time. When she finally pulls away, I open my eyes to see her upside down face looking lovingly at mine. Her thumbs wipe away my tears, bringing me back to what happened. But Clove looks so beautiful, I can't close my eyes and pretend to be alone. I can't leave her beautiful face here, where she can get hurt, too.

**I know... Super short chapter, but, I have rewritten it, like, three times now. I don't know why it was so hard to write... But I am going to be writing another shortly.**


	8. Well?

**Hello, Lovelys! I have been super busy. I have about 101 excuses. Enjoy this chapta!**

_Boom._ Howling. Flashes of lightening. We have been stuck in our cave outside of 11 for three days longer than anticipated. Our food is running low, and we are having to boil water to drink _inside _cave. We don't know how long this will continue, but it's not letting up. It's constant. It's never rained like this in 11 before. _There's a first time for everything._ But why now? Why when we need good weather the most? Grr. This is aggravating. Unless we want to be struck by lightening, we have to stay in this cave. It's a good thing where we sleep in the cave is higher than the entrance. About ten feet higher. It's not a very steep slope; but it is about a 35 degree angle. Not as bad as it could be. Clove wanders how I can estimate the degree, and I tell her "You'd be able to also if you had payed attention in class." Then she smirks at me, rolling her eyes.

We have been playing War. Our game has gone on for about a day, **(A/N: My sister and her friend had a game of War that went on for literally 2 days. Nonstop)** the longest either of us has played. Good thing we both like it. It has given me something else to think about besides my... parents.

And there I go again, thinking of them. Clove worked so hard kissing the pain away. Which was very effective, if I do say.

**Clove's POV**

As Cato pretends to sleep, his head resting on my chest, right arm crossed over my waste, I run my fingers through his hair, humming softly. It's a lullaby, one almost everyone knows. Cato has had a ruff time, obviously, since we got the news of his parents. We have become a lot closer. Tragedy does that.

Cato squeezes me tight, sighing and snuggling down closer. His blue eyes are clouded with sadness, though he tries to smile and laugh. I wish I could do something more; it kills me seeing him in pain. And I don't care what we fought before, now he needs me. More than ever. And I will do whatever he needs me to, because I know what it is like to grow up *basically* without parents.

His breathing pattern becomes uneven, letting me know he is drifting off now. I smile to myself, knowing that I can at least get him to sleep... And be there when he wakes up screaming, running from some unknown danger. My dreams have been moot, in fact I only remember tiny pieces, none of them making sense. I can only imagine what his dreams are like though.

The sound of thunder ripples through the long, narrow cave, seeming to bounce off every surface endlessly. Cato's eyes flutter open briefly, before closing again and returning him to his state of subconsciousness. I can't seem to sleep on this particular night, no matter how many times I count the sheep that run across the fields of my imagination, no matter how many times I close my eyes and try to "fantasize" about if this semi-rebellion hadn't happened. Speaking of rebellions, I truthfully don't know why people started acting up. All that happened was... wait... They out up ten feet walls around the districts, keeping us where we are. They closed off the highways, blocked the railroad tracks, canceled all the flights. I didn't think anything of it (stupid me), until now. Then they shutdown the schools and stores? How did they think people would react. Because if I- _shut up, Clove. There's something more to it. You're missing the big picture._

Okay, now lets see. Why would they do this? There has to be a reason, it can't just be like "Oh, tehe. Let's see what happens if we do this, oh ho."

Maybe... No... Perhaps they... Grrr... *Light bulb turns on* If they kept people from traveling the districts, shut down the stores and schools, it must be something in the other districts. Maybe just a couple, but something. It would make sense.. I saw a man being pushed out of his _own_ store by a Peacekeeper. And the schools were maybe shutdown because the food and supplies are imported. But then it would have to be... Something in the food? Maybe rats in the crates, or mosquito. You never know.

**Cato's POV**

Thunder outside wakes me, causing me to cling tighter to Clove. She is still humming, running her fingers through my hair. But, she is looking at something far off in the distance, eyes slightly squinted. This is her thinking face. I close my eyes again, trying to sleep. That is of course until Clove suddenly bolts up, knocking me over. She runs to the mouth of the cave, being careful on the slope, then looking both ways before coming back to me and then shoving everything in our packs.

"Clove, what is it? What's going on?" I whisper hurriedly.

She doesn't even look at me when she says, "We need to get out of here." Right after she says this, something far off- no, not something. Several "somethings", scream at the top of their lungs. Clove's head shoots to the mouth of the cave, then back only to move her hands even faster. "Come on, help me!" She hisses.

I don't argue, only begin to help shove the blankets into their bag, along with some of our clothing. _What in the hell is going on?_

"I'll answer when we are passing 12." She says suddenly. I must have thought that out loud.

When we are finished, we throw our bags on, and hurry out. Far off, screams echo through the land, torches flash and noises crash, sending chills up my spine. A thick, almost pitch black, smoke begins to emerge from the barley-standing concrete wall outside the district. We are closer to 11 than I thought, only about 100 yards. More crashing of the wall, then a whole band of people spill out of the five feet wide line of damage. They scream to run, to get out of the way, then, to my surprise, a 16 wheeler breaks through.

It maneuvers to block the whole, the stops, letting people on. Somehow, Clove and I wondered closer, in full view. We stand in the sparse woods just outside the district, standing in slight awe. One of the rebels must spot us, because as soon as the back slides down into place, the semi comes barreling towards us. Knocking over trees, scattering animals.

Clove grabs my hand, squeezing it hard. I look at her, ready to jump out of the way. _Eeercchhh!_ The semi stops, shining it's high beams through the dark and rain, at us. Only a mere 10 yards away. My heart beat speeds up, pumping through my veins and pounding in my ears.

A girl, about 16, sticks her torso out of the passenger side, and yells, "Well, are you going to get in, or just stand there?" Her drawl catches my attention, reminding me of District 11's southern heritage. "Well?"

**Clove's POV**

Cato and I stand here, flabbergasted. _What is going on?_ Why would we get in with these strange people we don't even- _Shite._ Cato yells an answer, then grabs my hand and starts pulling us to the semi. _Shit-fuck-god-shit-damn-nucking-futs-goddamnwhores !_

The girl, about my age, jumps out and waits for us to get in. Cato jumps up first, then hauls me up after him. Then, the girls follows. The driver, a boy about 17, directs Cato and I to sit in the seats in between him and the girl. Cato quickly takes the seat next to the boy, then tosses his bags in the back.

I sit down on the brown leather seats, then do the same. The boy starts the roaring beast of an engine. I look around, feeling uncomfortable, but safe. There is a hula girl on the dash board, a radio, wood accents and basically just normal things. But, there is one thing that catches my eye in the unnecessary rear view mirror. A girl. About twelve with dark skin and brown eyes. There is a huge dark skinned boy next to her, who looks to be her brother, but about 18.

My gaze is interrupted by a pale hand and a mellow voice saying, "Hi. I'm Katniss, that's Marvel, that girl back there is Rue, and the boy is Thresh."

I take her hand, shaking it slightly. "I'm Clove. And this is Cato. We're from District two."

"District two, huh? Long way to travel, how long did it take you?" She asks as she turns around and bends over the seat to grab something.

"It's July, no?" When she nods, I continue on. "We left in May." Katniss turns back around, wielding thread-bare towels.

"Geesh. Here, it's all we've got. Don't want you getting sick and infecting the rest of us." She says handing us the towels.

I smile, a silent thank you. Cato has been strangely quiet. Oh, nope. "How come you guys didn't break away sooner?" He asks.

Marvel answers. "We were locked in the district home. But.. we tricked the security system." A smirk spreads across his face.

A sudden pang of guilt spreads through me, although I know that most children in 11 and 12 are orphans. Not because their parents die, or their parents don't want them, but simply because they can't _feed_ them. And since the district homes are government funded, they _can_ feed them. They had it better than if they were with their parents. I feel guilty because I remember seeing the orphans at school, and how miserable they looked. There weren't many, but they were still there. They looked so absent minded, so lost. Because they weren't ever aloud to see their parents. Ever. Because their parents _gave_ them up. So, logic says that they shouldn't ever be able to see their kid again. Wooh! Go, logic!

**I know, lame ending... But, hey! Cool chapta, huh? Yes, I know. I'm amazing.**


	9. Yes

**Hello, Lovelys! I just have to say... Whenever I post a new chapter, and the reviews come along... I get so happy. I didn't think people would like my story.**

**I have time to write, even though we are packing. I am trying to put things in place, trying to build suspense, but... I am not good at that. Getting better... But you'll see what I mean. Enjoy!**

**Cato's POV**

I scoot closer to Clove, putting my arm around her shoulder. I don't like the way that dude Marvel is looking at her. He is giving her flirty eyes. And only I- _Were you about to think what I think you were? Whoa, Cato. Getting protective, are we?_ Maybe. I don't know, everything has been stressful. _Look at me, I'm thinking like a girl._ With my parents death, running away and being at risk of getting caught and punished by hanging always looming over our heads... I don't know what I feel. But, I do know I don't like the way Marvel is looking at my Cl- _Here we go again. My? MY? MY, Cato?!_

"We'll be in 13 in no time." Marvel says.

The conversation ends, with a... well.. I can't decide if it is a comfortable or uncomfortable silence. We are safe now, and getting to 13 faster... But we don't know these people. Only there names, and that they lived in a district home.

Clove rests her head on my shoulder, followed by me leaning my head atop her's. I sigh, feeling more calm now, my heart rate returning to normal. Marvel clicks on the radio, which instantly tunes into 96.9 FM. My favorite station.** (A/N: Omg, mine, too!)**

Katniss and Clove start singing along, quietly at first, then growing to laughing and shouting. Marvel joins in. I start laughing, because this is so ridiculous. Yet, it feels so right. _Whoa, man! Deja vu._

"Come on, Cato!" Clove yells, laughing. "Sing the chorus with us!"

"I don't-" Katniss cuts me off.

"Come on! Do it! Do it!" Marvel and Clove join her chanting, compelling me to sing.

"Okay, fine!" I say. I start to sing the ridiculously provocative chorus. **(A/N: Song lyrics are from "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails.) **"I wanna fuck you like an animal. I wanna feel you from the inside."

Katniss, wooting and whistling, grabs onto what I like to call the "OH, SHIT" bar, and leans out of the door way. You see, this is one of those semis that doesn't have doors. Inconvenient, really.

"WOOHOO! GOD DAMMIT!" When she leans back in, her hair is damp, droplets of rain on her face.

**Clove's POV**

It's a good thing that 12 isn't that far away from 11, because if it were we would be stuck sleeping in the back of the semi. I had forgotten about the people back there. We hop out, Rue and Thresh following, just outside of 12. When we open the back, a blonde girl, about 17, comes and starts complaining.

"What took so long?" She whines. Her blue eyes shine in the dawn, her waste-length hair becoming soaked.

"Glimmer, stop it." Marvel says. He looks genuinely annoyed.

"You stop it! Stop telling me what to do! _I'm_ the older one." She says.

"By ten minutes." Marvel mutters.

A short laugh escapes Katniss' lips, which is followed by her pale hands flying up to her mouth, eyes wide. I bite my lip, fighting back laughter, too. Glimmer glares at her.

"Hey!" Katniss says, putting up her hands up in defense. "We're all tense. Why don't we just take a deep breathe, hop in the back, and devise a battle plan?"

We mutter words of agreement, then climb to where the other are. We all sit on the cold metal floor. There are seven other people I have yet to meet. 15 all together, including Cato and myself.

"Everybody, this is Clove and Cato. They are from District two." Everyone mutters their greetings, as do we. "This is Efrina," Katniss says.

"But you can call me 'Effie'" says a pale-white girl who has black hair with fiery red tips. Her eyes are blue, dark makeup making them pop.

"This is her boy-toy, Haymitch," Katniss points to a boy with olive skin, dark chin-length hair that frames his face and grey eyes. Haymitch smile and nods at us.

"That's Gale," Who has the same eyes, hair, and skin as Haymitch, but is probably taller and is more muscular.

"That is Madge, Gale's girlfriend," Who is very pretty with pale skin, blue eyes (not as blue as Effie's) and blonde hair that goes to her shoulders.

"Finnick and Annie" who are matching with tan skin, sea green eyes... And then the similarities stop there. Finnick has bronze hair, while Annie's is dyed blonde.

"And that is Johanna," who has brown hair and brown wide set eyes. "Oh, and Deena, though she prefers to be called 'Foxface'" Who ironically looks like a fox with pale skin and natural red hair.

"Hi" Cato and I say in unison.

"You don't look like brother and sister. Are you dating?" The one called "Johanna" asks.

I look nervously at Cato, unsure what I should say. He looks at me, obviously hoping I say yes. I open my mouth to answer, but Cato answers for me. "Yes."

**Ooooooo! What's gonna happen next?! *says in singing voice* You're just gonna have to wait!**


	10. I would have to kill you

**Hello, Lovelys! I am going to try to write as much as I can from today-Sunday. Sunday, my mom is coming home and we are going to be busy packing. Okay... Enjoy!**

I watch as Cato's muscles grow tense. He is squeezing my hand so hard, almost grinding my bones together. I don't care; I have worse things to worry about.

Johanna whispers something into her communicator, causing Marvel to look at the time. Sweat drips down his face, his weary eyes glancing at the thin shaft of light drifting in from the crack in our hide-out. It is just a small closet, it's door facing the bakery. There is another smaller door at the back, which leads to a small office building leading back to the semi.

Valuable seconds tick away, tick tock. Tick tock. Marvel looks at the time on his dimly lit cell phone. Again.

"If they are not back in two minutes, we have to leave." Marvel whispers. Cato glares at him; though I don't know why. "Johanna, you'll go with Cato, Clove you'll go with me."

"No. I'm taking Clove." Cato says this with finality, like "This is how I want it, and this is how it will be".

"Okay... That'll work, too." Marvel says, squinting his eyes slightly.

"Shh." I say, holding my index finger up. I point to the door, slowly getting up from my position next to Cato, letting go of his hand. I put my right arm up against the door, planning to go in to peak out. But, my plan is foiled by Katniss swinging the door open.

"Move, move." She says as she drags in a small figure. Looking closer, I see that the figure is a girl, blonde hair, pale skin.

Johanna gets up and hurriedly closes the door. In darkness, we all exhale the breathes we have all been holding in for the last half hour. Mentally or physically... Doesn't matter. Cato opens the back door, just enough for Marvel to see what he's doing when he lifts the seemingly sleeping girl onto his shoulder, and for Katniss to be able to distribute the supplies she found. Why no one went with her, her own request. We insisted upon at least coming with her to help when she got back.

I get to carry a gallon of gas, Cato: a basket of canned food, Johanna: a first aid kit, and Katniss, a gallon of water. How Katniss carried this all _and_ dragged the girl, I have no clue.

**Cato's POV**

We hustle through a maze of hallways and offices, eventually exiting an emergency exit door, leading us into the woods and to the semi. We open the back depositing the girl and Katniss. The four of us left ride up front. In the same order, Johanna taking Katniss' place.

"Shit!" Marvel exclaims before telling Johanna and Clove to put the gas in the tank. Which leaves him and I, alone.

"Why do I get the sense that you don't like me?" Marvel says. I look at him, cocking my head.

"Because I don't." I say nonchalantly.

He nods his head, eyes trying to decide something. I squint at him until he finally says, "I don't want Clove. If it seems like I do; I don't."

Now it is my turn to nod and decide. "That's good. Because if you did, and if you tried something... I would have to kill you." I almost regret saying that. But not quite.

Marvel's eyes widen in surprise, his eye brows arching. "Seems legit." He starts nodding again, just before the girls hop back in.

I turn and smile at Clove, putting my arm around her shoulders and kissing her forehead... Then smirk at Marvel. He looks away, starting the ignition. We ride away from the burning district, down a winding road that seems to go on for hours. No one speaks.

**XXX**

**Clove's POV**

I fiddle with the string on Cato's grey hoodie. My head is leaning on his shoulder, his arm around me. Silence fills the air as dusk slowly approaches. The sun fading behind the line of trees sends orange streaks across the now blue sky. The clouds have all been blown away, relieving us of the rain. Strange, that the weather changes so fast.

Cato tightens his grip around me, almost in a forced way, causing me to look up. And this is what I see. Cato is glaring at Marvel, Marvel's jaw is clenched and his fists are white-knuckled around the steering wheel.

**Cato's POV**

Marvel looks away angrily, obviously agitated. I have been glaring at him the whole way, and he knows it. He has been sneaking peeks at Clove. He even bit his lip at one point. _I know Clove is beautiful, but you don't have to stare._

I let my thoughts about Clove wonder freely now that were "dating". I may have said yes, but we never really talked about it before. But that of course doesn't really stop me.

**Clove's POV**

Johanna speaks up. "God, you can cut the tension with a knife." Then lets out a tiny laugh.

I look at her, throwing my left thumb over my shoulder and rolling my eyes. I was sensing it, too. But, then again, who wasn't?

**I am going to start writing the next chapter now...**


	11. Do you love me?

**Hello, Lovelys! Enjoyyyy!**

Marvel swerves off the thin road, causing us all to scream and shout. "WTF?!"'s are exchanged, making everything seem worse. Marvel seems to know what he is doing, though, so I stay watching him from Cato's arms. His eyes are determined, his steering careful. He makes a left, a right, keeps going for a while, the another left onto what looks like the freeway. We're on the freeway?

"What the hell was that?" Cato shouts, startling me.

"It was me showing you how we wouldn't be followed." He says, keeping his eyes on the road. Though, there are no other cars.

Cato shrugs him off angrily and turns his attention to me. "Are you okay?" He surveys my whole body.

"Yes, just a little shocked." I say, not knowing why he is freaking out.

He breathes a sigh of relief, then brings me in to a warm, engulfing hug. I wrap my arms around his neck, patting his back. He pulls back, looking at Johanna, to make sure she didn't fall out. He nods at her, receiving a "Yea, thumbs up." from a panting Johanna.

He slumps back in his seat, arm around me. I snuggle in close, the night air drifting into the large doors. _Damn, fuck this._ Cato notices that I am shivering, and leans over the seat to grab our blankets. He hands one to Johanna, then me, and leaves Marvel to suffer. I nudge his rib, willing him to be nice. He rolls his eyes and retrieves another. I smile in the new-found warm, leaning back against Cato.

"Hey... Rue and Thresh are in the back with the others, why don't you lay down on the couch behind the seats?" Cato asks me.

"Okay." I say. I lift one leg carefully over the seat, then the other. I crawl onto the couch, bringing the blanket and somehow managing to bring Cato, too.

"Hey, guys," Marvel says, pulling over. "We're going to stop for the night. You can either stay in here and freeze, or come sleep with the rest of us.

I look at Cato, who is sitting next to me, looking for an answer. He looks at me, so I answer this time. "We'll stay in here."

"Suit yourselves. Come, on Jo. Lets go." Marvel says. I here the impact of their feet hitting the side of the freeway, crunching on the gravel as they walk to the back.

Cato turns to me once we hear the metal door slide into place, a grin on his face. "Alone again." His voice is low, seductive. His hand goes to my cheek, slowly stroking it. But I am all business.

"What's going on with you and Marvel?" I ask, crossing my arms. He looks at me slightly surprised, but then quickly recovers.

"I don't like him." He shrugs, crossing his arms, too.

_God, he is such a boy._ "And why not?"

"He... He's a creep."

"What are you talking about? He has been nothing but nice. Unlike you." I raise my voice slightly.

"He keeps looking at you." He says. He is obviously leaving _something_ out.

"And?" I say, drawing out the word.

"_And?_ What else is there to say?" He asks like I am a retard.

"Oh, there has to be plenty to say." He is being _ridiculous._

"There is. Just not on this subject." He says matter-of-factly.

"Like, what?"

"Like... Are we dating?" He bites his bottom lip slightly, and for a split second... He looks insecure... No. I'm seeing things. Cato is not insecure.

"What do _you_ think?"

"I want you Clove." He says. _Am I hearing things, too?_

"What?" I say almost to quietly for even _me_ to hear.

"I wasn't sure before, well.. Actually I was.. But now I am _Positive._" He says as a thought comes to me.

"Cato?" I ask quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Remember when I woke up after falling in the shower?" I ask.

"Yes. Why-" I cut him off.

"You were so gentle, protective. And remember outside of 2? When we..." My voice trails off, my thoughts going back to the sensation of his lips on mine.

"When we kissed?" Cato offers.

"Yes."

"I think about it all the time." He says.

"And after we found out about your parents... You said..." I can't say it. I can't.

"Yes. I remember. What are you saying?" He asks.

This moment is when everything could change. To ask or not to ask. Hmmmm... If I ask, what will he say? Yes or no. The latter... Is why I haven't yet. But if he said yes... Would we become lovers? _No, you silly girl._ _He'll say no. I bet you five bucks. No one could love you._ Shut up. You're not helping. But... Because of the 50% chance that he'll say yes... I ask.

My voice wavers. "Do you love me?"

He looks into my eyes, then to my lips. He grabs the back of my neck and brings his lips to mine. I'm startled at first, but then indulge. My arms go to his neck my legs around his waste. He lays me back against the couch, hands moving to my back. His kisses are light, teasing. My heart beat speeds up, pounding away at my chest. His tongue finds it's way into my mouth, stroking mine. A warmth grows in my chest, the warmth I have become so fond of. The warmth only Cato can ignite.

But, all to soon, Cato pulls away, sitting up. "Clove, I love you."

I smile and bite my lip, before pulling him back down to my hold. He's going to have to work to get me to say it back.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Yes.**


	12. The Roommate List

**Hello, Lovelys! Yes... The Summary is going back into effect... Just sit back and read;) Enjoy!**

I wake up to the elegant smell of Clove's hair. _And we haven't showered since... Since the last cave, in the stream. _Who cares? _  
_

I hear Clove's gentle breathing, her unsteady breathes. She's still asleep. Her back is facing me, my arms around her. I pull her closer, wanting to savor this moment when we aren't awkwardly pressed together, trying to stay warm. Sunlight shines into the doorways, birds chirp, and the gravel crunches as someone walks towards us.

Then it hits me; I told Clove I love her.

Which I do, but I actually said it. Of course this isn't the first time, but... The last time was after my parents died. And I didn't think she heard it. But she did. And definitely did this time. Oh, hot damn. I actually said it. And she didn't say it back. She just pulled me in for another kiss and... a night of fun._ Was that her saying it back?_ Maybe... But, you never really know with Clove.

"Hey, lovebirds! Wake up!" A girl yells.

Clove jumps, rolling off the couch and onto the floor. I look up, to see Johanna and the one called Deena. Or was it Foxface? I don't know.

"We're up!" Clove says, shooting up and hitting her head on the low ceiling.

Everyone bursts into laughter, even Clove. "You okay?" Foxface says.

"Yea... Just... Peachy." Clove replies sitting back down and rubbing her head. "Where's Marvel? I thought he drove..."

"He's helping Katniss with her little sister. The one she dragged back from 12." Johanna says. "Sweet little girl."

"She's 15. She's not little." Foxface quips.

"Whatever. Lets just get on the road, 13 is only 10 miles away. Well, according to the GPS." Johanna says.

Foxface drives, leaving Johanna on the passenger side and Clove and I in the back. Clove holds my right hand, tracing the scars. Scars from ovens, burners, and hot pans. Johanna and Foxface sing along to the radio, a quieter song, with a melodic tune. Their voices harmonize, reaching high notes, up the staircase of 'Do Ray Mi Fa So La Ti Do" and then tumbling back down. I look down, briefly distracted by Clove's bare wrist. Why hadn't I noticed the jagged scar across her vein before?

**Clove's POV**

Suddenly, Cato grabs my left wrist, bringing it closer to his face to examine. _Shit, shit, shit._ I had been so good about wearing long sleeves. And, for a while there I thought I would never have to tell him. _Foiled again!_

Most of my scars have faded, but not this hunk of scar tissue. Oh, no. It's here for life. Karma, I guess, for almost _ending _my life. I guess I would have told him eventually, but now? With Johanna and Foxface here?

Cato's eyes are squinted when he says, "Clove, I-" but I cut him off.

"Later."

"Hey, guys! We're almost there!" Johanna says, _thank god_. "Just three short miles to go!"

"I'm not seeing anything. No buildings, no anything. Wait... What's over there?" Foxface says.

We all look to where she is pointing, to the left. There is a one-story building, with barbed wire and chain link fences surrounding it. It's covered with vines and moss. District 13.

Foxface immediately swerves to the left, towards the building. She crosses the other side of the freeway, then onto a grassy field. The building sits about 100 yards in, on a large mud patch. The 16 wheeler bumps on the uneven ground, then finally coming to a stop. I jump over the seat as Johanna and Foxface jump out and go around to the back. Cato follows, staying with me at all times. Everyone piles out, coming around to the building. We all stand in a group, Rue and Primrose in the middle. Now, looking at Primrose, I see that her eyes are blue. And Rue looks to be about the same age.

Cato, Johanna, Katniss and myself are in the front. Cato in the very front, though. We approach the grey building carefully, not knowing what awaits us.

"Hello?" Cato says, slowly, carefully. No answer.

"How can we be sure this isn't a set up from the Capital?" Johanna asks.

"It's not." Katniss says. "We didn't come all the way out here for death by hanging."

Suddenly, a small, older woman appears out of no where. She is wearing grey pants, grey shirt, grey everything. Her hands are crossed behind her back, her foot step almost soundless. Her grey hair is cut short, just below her jaw, curling in. She has a small nose, green eyes, thin lips. Definitely not from the Capital.

"Hello, fellow fugitives. Welcome to District 13." Just after she says this, she pulls out her hand, which carries a small remote with to buttons. She presses the green one, and then a large hole in the ground opens up, like a moon roof.

We all step forward, looking into the hole. There is a staircase, then what looks like a hallway.

"District 13 is.. Underground?" I ask.

The woman looks at me, seemingly surprised by the question. "Yes. Where else would it be... _Above_ ground? Where the Capital can find it? Nonsense, now, come along. Don't worry about the truck, it will be searched, and any items found will either be returned to the owner or disposed of, and all food will be sent to the kitchen. Come on, we've got to get rooms assigned." She motions to the hole, starting to go down herself. We follow.

**XXX**

The warm water washes over my body, rinsing out the shampoo, refreshing my skin. Once I can open my eyes with out soap washing into them, I look for conditioner, but finding none. I sigh and turn off the water. I grab a grey towel off the rack as I step out, silently cursing District 13 for being so entirely void of color.

I look in the slightly warped mirror, examining my pale face and dark hair. My nose appears small, my lips plump, my eyes large and extremely blue. What is it with this lighting?

I hear a knock on the door. "You done? We got the room mate situation sheet for our class from Mr. Plutarch." Effie says.

"Yea." I call.

I twist the corner of the towel inside so it stays up. With one last look at my washed out face, I open the door. Effie is standing with Johanna looking over her shoulder at the list. Effie hands it to me, and this is it:

**Class Roommates:**

Clove Winter, Efrina Smith, & Johanna Mason

Madge Undersee & Deena Patterson

Annie Cresta & Katniss Everdeen

Rue Prince & Primrose Everdeen

Carmen True, Casey Love, & Carley Love

Colette Runick & Casper O'Riley

Cato McPherson & Gale Hawthorne

Finnick Odair & Thresh Prince **Haha, Fresh Prince **

Marvel Chassey & Peeta Mellark

Rory Thorne & Vick Thorne

Marvel Brote & Jackson Coin

My tormentors are back.

**OOOOOOOO MMMMMMM GGGGGGGGG What have I done?! THE TORMENTORS ARE BACK! SUMMARY, BACK INTO EFFECT! Can Cato save Clove?**


	13. False goody goodness

**Hello, Lovelys! I have lots of plans for drama... But not enough. Post a review of what you would like to happen... And I will try to work it in to the story. It may not be immediately, but it will probably be in there. I will pick what seems the most exciting and what would work for the story the most. Enjoy!**

"Are you okay?" Johanna says.

The paper shakes like a leaf in my hand, my eyes beginning to tear up. "Yea. It's just... Never mind." I shake my head and hand the paper to Effie.

I walk to my dresser, taking out the grey uniform. I have to tell Cato; unless he already knows. Maybe I can act like it doesn't matter? _Okay... Lets do that. Then we can pretend like we are a happy person!_

Evil mind. You're so _Clever?_ Not what I was going to say, but okay.

"Nice butt." Johanna suddenly says.

"Oh. Thanks." I reply.

"I wish mine was like it." Effie whines.

"Stand up." Johanna says. I hear some commotion, then Johanna says, "It is. You guys have bubble-butts!"

I laugh to myself, then say, "Effie, we're butt buddies!"

"Hahaha! Oh hot damn!" She replies.

I put on the long sleeved grey shirt, turning around just in time to see Cato coming in the door. He is holding a paper, presumably the roommate list, his other hand clenched into a fist. The grey uniform makes his muscles stand out. _Damn, he's hot._

"Did you get the list yet?" He looks down to me briefly, then back to the paper.

"Yes." I say, as nonchalantly as I can manage.

He looks back up at me, his eyes lingering on my tight uniform. I mean, tight. Stretchy, but tight. It is basically just grey leggings and a long sleeved turtle-neck made of the same material. Cato comes over and looks at the list Effie is still holding.

"Yours doesn't have the room numbers. Here. Have mine." He hands the list to Johanna, and takes the one Effie is holding.

"Why are they even necessary? Why do we need to know who is rooming with who, and their room numbers?" I ask.

"Didn't Mr. Plutarch tell you?" He asks turning back to me.

"She was in the shower. Hence the wet hair." Johanna says.

"It's so that we know where our friends are." Effie says. "Why isn't Haymitch on our Class list?" She frowns.

"He is in a different Class. I just talked to him," Someone says, walking in the door. It's Thresh. "He told Mr. Plutarch that he wanted to be with friends, and so he is working on transferring him."

Effie's face lights up. She stands up, pushing Cato and Thresh out. "Okay. Bed time. Night, night."

Cato looks at me, then turns away and leaves. I snatch the list from Johanna, then go into our bathroom. I sit down, my back against the door. The list says the same thing, but with the class name and room numbers.

**Mr. Plutarch**

**Class Roommates:**

Clove Winter, Efrina Smith, & Johanna Mason **320**

Madge Undersee & Deena Patterson** 321**

Annie Cresta & Katniss Everdeen **322**

Rue Prince & Primrose Everdeen **323**

Carmen True, Casey Love, & Carley Love **324**

Colette Runick & Casper O'Riley **325**

Cato McPherson & Gale Hawthorne **326**

Finnick Odair & Thresh Prince **327**

Marvel Chassey & Peeta Mellark **328**

Rory Thorne & Vick Thorne **329**

Marvel Brote & Jackson Coin **330**

Well Then... I thought only smart people were going to 13. And yet... The five C's and Marvel B. are here...

There is a faint knock on the door, then the noise of people talking. I hear a knock on the bathroom door, so I stand and open it to see Johanna looking kind of awkward.

"It's for you." She says.

I push past Jo, and walk straight to the closed door. I open it, and standing with a morbid smile on her face is... Carmen True. Known ex-best friend and bitch.

I smile politely.

She smiles so that her white teeth show, shining under the florescent light. "Hi! I just wanted to welcome you to the class! Here are some cookies!" I look down at the perfect circle shaped chocolate chip cookies neatly arranged on the plate she holds. _Damn it, she knows that's my favorite kind!_

I take the plate as she shoves it into my face, that grotesque smile still planted on her tan skin. "Thanks...?" I mutter.

I go to close the door, but she puts her hand up, stopping it. "I got them at the shop in the cafeteria. They weren't that much, but probably more than what your shoes cost."

I look down at my converse. The only thing we can choose about our outfits is the shoes. So you can wear fucking 8 in. stilettos. They don't give a shit.

I slam the door closed, making sure it hit her nose. I turn around to see Effie and Johanna looking at me questioningly. "Anyone want cookies?"

**XXX**

I drowsily write down my answer. A buzzer goes off, alerting Mr. Plutarch to call on someone to answer. I hardly got any sleep, considering that we had to wake up at _5:00 am._ This place is devoid of logic.

"Cato?" Mr. Plutarch chimes.

"5.93" Cato says, his alert voice annoying me slightly.

"Very good." Mr. Plutarch says.

I quickly fall asleep, to dream of my bed. How cozy the grey comforter is. Mmmm. I almost hit REM sleep when Foxface pushes me slightly telling me to wake up for science. Ugh.

I drift through the morning half of school halfheartedly nodding as if I understand what Mr. Plutarch is telling the class. I don't get why we have to keep changing rooms if we only have one teacher. By lunch, I am half awake. I am actually in a good mood, until Carmen of course interrupts my laughing.

"How were the cookies?" She says with false goody-goodness.

"Pretty good." I say.

"Good. I wanted your judgement. Casey wanted to buy some for Jackson, her boyfriend. And a fat girl should know what a good cookie is." She smiles and walks away.

I know my mouth must be hanging open. Everyone looks from Carmen, who is walking away, to me. _ Awkward._

"What a bitch." Johanna says, resuming her eating.

"Agreed." I reply.

**Well... Betches. There is going to be a lot of drama in the coming chapters. WOOO! I love drama... Well, watching it anyway. So, obviously I watch reality TV. Yep!**


	14. The Bitch Deserved It

**Hello, Lovelys! You guys... I love you guys... And... Shout out to ClovelyLittleReader and cherrycolahoneykisses**  
**Love you guys with all my heart! Enjoy! And don't forget to post suggestions! You can put it in a review or PM me. Whatever you want to do. Thanks!**

I am waiting for the elevator to stop at my class floor when the electricity goes out. _Damn._ Now I am here all alone. If I had left with the rest of the class, I wouldn't be in this predicament. But, no. Mr. Plutarch had to keep me after class to discuss changing me into an advanced math class. Everyone else is probably having their down time, preparing to go the the cafeteria for dinner.

I haven't even gotten the chance to talk to Clove about her scar yet, and her old friends that magically appeared in 13.

I take this time to look closer at the elevator. I notice a phone, like a pay phone without the money, just below the many buttons. Just above it reads in red, "FOR EMERGENCIES ONLY". Well, this is an emergency. I pick it up and hold it to my ear, when I see writing below it saying, "BATTERY POWERED". _Oh, thank god._

I press the rectangular button labeled "Mr. Plutarch", and the phone begins ringing. I guess all the phones here are battery powered, because he answers.

"Hello?" He says.

"Mr. Plutarch? It's Cato McPherson. I'm stuck in the elevator." I say.

**Clove's POV**

I am holding another plate of cookies, listening to Carmen's insults and rants about how Colette and Casper are now "lesbian lovers" _So? Me and the whole school have known that since the end of sophomore year _and how they are totally out of the click. I am debating whether or not to slam the door and let it crush her manicured fingers that are clutching the door frame when something she says catches my attention.

"What?"

"I said," She says rolling her eyes and taking a deep breath. "Do you want to join the group again?" She taps her fingers as she waits for my answer.

I look at her, my head cocked to the left, my mouth open. I'm deciding what to say when I get the urge to mess up her pretty little face when a light bulb goes comes on. Not just in my head.

I set down the plate of cookies on Effie's night stand. I grab the back of her hair, quickly pulling her head down to collide with my knee. She staggers away, standing up to face me. "Oops?" I ask innocently. She smiles before lunging at me, grabbing my hair.

I knee her in the stomach, causing a whimper to escape her lips. Her hand wonders by my face and I immediately bite it. She screams, her voice echoing and bringing everyone into the hallway with us. She tackles me to the ground, in the process somehow managing to literally rip my pants off me, exposing my black lace under wear. _Great. Everybody is now watching me fight in my undies._

I gasp, rolling over on top of Carmen. I faintly hear people chanting _fight, fight, fight._ I grasp Carmen's neck, before she kicks up off the ground with her feet, stepping on her pant leg and tearing off her pants. _Gee, these clothes should be better made._

She flips me onto my stomach, then sits on my back. Casey shouts, "Off with her shirt!"

I turn just enough to see Carmen grin. _Oh, shit._ She rips it off, like it is nothing, exposing my bra that matches my panties. She gets off me. _Bad __decision_.

I get up, lunging at her and punching her perfect little face. Blood gushes out her nose. She lifts her hand to her face, bringing it back to look at her fingers. "You bitch!" She screams.

I smirk and trip her as she runs at me. I quickly get on _her,_ Laughing as she whimpers when my knee digs into her shoulder blade. "What are you going to do now?" I ask.

"Well," She says struggling. "I'm going to..."

Someone pulls me off her from behind, sending me into a fit of kicking and screaming. "Put me down!" I say. "The bitch deserves it!"

The person sets me down, turning me by my shoulders. I see that it is Cato, and realize that I am in my _under wear._ I look at him trying to say what my words can't. _Get me out of here._

He nods, pulling me into him and directing me to my room. Once the door is closed, he looks at me sternly. "What?" I ask defensively.

"Okay. I stay after school late. I get in the elevator and the electricity goes out. Once it finally goes back on, I walk out to see you in you bra and under wear beating up Carmen. Who was not wearing pants either. What do you mean 'what'?" He asks.

"She asked me if I wanted to join the 'group' again." I say pointing at the door.

He sighs. He turns away, pinching the bridge of his nose. Why is he so annoyed?

"Clove... The last day on the road... I saw your scar. You said 'Later'. We never talked about it." He says looking back at me. _What does that have to do with this?_

This moment Johanna and Effie come back in, stopping when they see me. I grab Cato's hand and pull him into the bathroom. I faintly hear Johanna say, "And then they made sweet love. The end."

I roll my eyes, then go back to serious mode. "Okay. Back in junior year, I had a particularly bad day. I went home, grabbed the sharpest knife I could find, and then ba da bing, ba da boom, I'm lying in the bath tub unconscious."

"Oh, Clove," Cato whispers, grabbing my right wrist. "What did you do?"

I look down at the burns. Maybe the grey haired lady shouldn't have given the lighter back. I pull my arm away, turning to open the door so he can leave. I don't want to talk about this. My plan is foiled when Cato grabs my waste and brings me into a warm hug. He sets his chin on top of my head as I bury my face in his chest.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. After school. What did they say?" He says.

"At lunch, Carmen called me fat." A tear falls.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there. Mr. Plutarch wanted to discuss math with me." He spits out the word math.

He lowers himself to the floor, pulling me onto his lap. "You're not fat." He says into my hair.

"I'm so stupid, though. I fell for the prank we did most. Give someone cookies, then ask how they were and say something along the lines of, 'Oh, good. I am buying some for my mom and I wanted your judgment. A fat girl should know what a good cookie is'. I _invented_ that prank." I say.

"You're not stupid. Not good at math, true. But you are definitely not stupid. Yes, you're clumsy, occasionally violent, and you make mistakes. But, you are beautiful, caring, clever, unique, and I love you just the way you are." He says.

_He has said that he loves me three times now. Me? zero._ I turn to face him, carefully choosing my next words. And... deciding to make myself entirely vulnerable, and trusting him not to break me. "I love you, too."

**Awww... Ending a lot of chapters with cliff hangers lately. Love em, though. Hope you like this Chapta! Any more brilliant suggestions, Lovelys?**


	15. Ringed

**Hello, Lovelys! I'm eating cookies...Yumm:) SO sorry I haven't posted in a while. Enjoy!**

Effie blabs on about some new hair dye she found in the shops, keeping Johanna and Foxface distracted while I pretend to eat. I haven't really been hungry for a few days now, not really caring. I haven't had one real conversation with Cato since when I broke Carmen's pretty little barbie nose, last week. I haven't been depressed, but I haven't been happy, either. I'm just kind of floating about, taking up space. I haven't been even really been angry, which is strange for me. My feelings have been moot.

Cato was given an 8th period, advanced math, and then he is tutoring a bunch of people, so I haven't been able to talk to him. He hasn't said a word to me since I told him that I love him. _I knew this would happen. This is what I was scared of._

Katniss comes and sits with us, bringing Marvel Chassey (not my ex) with her. Everyone started calling him Marvy. _Haha_.

"Marvy, what do you think?" Katniss asks.

"About what?" He asks, looking away from me.

"About Mr. Plutarch getting that mysterious call and leaving class?" Johanna supplies.

"Oh, I think he's doing a student." He says, smirking. Johanna bursts out laughing, Effie gasps, Foxface makes a remark about "I wonder who!", and Katniss smacks his arm. I just look away, to where I can see Cato talking to Mr. Plutarch across the large room.

They pick up their conversation again, making guesses at who it would be. They all think it would be this girl named Delly, a chubby blonde who is infatuated with Mr. P. Honestly, I think it would be either Carley or Casey. They have both dated teachers, so...

**XXX**

I keep nodding, not knowing exactly what Mr. Plutarch is saying. He is babbling about his new girlfriend, not saying her name, though. This reminds me of my own girlfriend. _Clove..._

I haven't gotten to see Clove. Mr. P makes sure to keep me busy, even signing people up for a tutor, a.k.a **me**. I need to see her again. Not being with her is driving me insane. I'm about ready to scream at Mr. P. _Why the hell is he talking to a _student_ about this?!_

**XXX**

I knock on Clove's door, hoping she answers instead of one of her roommates. I don't need Johanna or Effie asking me why I'm here in the middle of the night. I just need to see Clove, and I need to see her now.

Clove answers the door, wearing only a towel. _Damn._

"Cato!" Clove hugs me, standing on her toes.

"Hey." I say, kissing her cheek.

"What are you doing here, don't you have to sleep? You must be really tired." She says pulling away.

"Not tired enough to not want to see my Clover." I muse.

She smiles wide at me, then pulls me down for a proper kiss on the lips. Her lips are warm, inviting. And of course, leaves me wanting more. I have been waiting weeks to kiss those lips again. And now that the moment is here, it's far better than I imagined. I could kiss her all day. But, that's not gonna happen. _Stupid 13._

"Do you want to come in? Jo and Effie are asleep." She says, throwing a thumb over her shoulder.

I look behind her, seeing two sleeping figures. I smile. "Sure."

**Clove's POV**

I take Cato's hand, leading him into my room. I tell him to turn around so that I could change; he's not getting the goods yet. When I turn back around, towel wrapped around my hair, he is sitting on my bed, looking at one of my rings. It is silver, the band woven with a square ruby sitting in the middle. It is a rather large ruby, so I hide it under my pillow. It was my mother's.

I walk over to him, taking the ring from him and slipping it onto my left ring finger. Cato takes my ringed hand, holding it with one and gently stroking my fingers with the other. I lean my head onto his shoulder, taking in his warmth. He starts tracing the band of the ring, then down my arm and back up. Eventually, he talks.

"You know why you put wedding rings on this particular finger?" He asks quietly. When I shake my head no, he continues on. "It's because there is a vein that runs from this finger," He traces it, going down my arm and to my heart. "All the way to your heart."

I look at him, pulling away from his warmth. His blue eyes are filled with love, but his hands are shaking slightly. I take hold of _his_ hands, asking, "Are you alright?"

He swallows, nodding. He stands up, flipping our hands around so mine are in his. He starts lowering himself down, onto one knee. _Oh, shit. Shit, shit, shit, goddamn._

He looks directly into my eyes, then asks, "Will you marry me?"

**AHHHHH! I will try to write another chapter tonight, Lovelys. Review, please!**


	16. Just Shut up!

**Hello, Lovelys! I promised that this chapter would be up tonight... SO here you go! I was so busy moving stuff... Gosh, I am exhausted. Any how, enjoy!**

I freeze, not sure what to do next. _Shit._ I never would have thought... That Cato would ask me to marry him. I day dreamed about it once or twice, imagined that I would be happy, say yes, then jump into his arms and live happily ever-after. But, no. Instead, I surprise myself by being angry. Before I can stop myself, my right hand is connecting with Cato's face and the sound is echoing through the room. My face burns red-hot, angry at what he is doing to me.

"How dare you! How dare you not talk to me for a week and then come around asking me to marry you!" I hiss. His hand goes up to his cheek, but then... he _smirks_.

He grabs my arm, pulling me into him. "I know. I've been a dick. But, you know what? I never stopped thinking about you that whole entire week. I kept trying to figure out a way to see you, but every time I got the opportunity, Mr. P had to schedule _something_." I pull away, looking at him suspiciously. He continues. "It made me realize how much I was dying to be with you, and that I don't ever want to be separated from you again." He stops, waiting for me to answer.

I sigh. I know he isn't lying. When he lies he bites his upper lip and puts his hands behind his back. _So... He really wants to marry me?_ "Sorry I slapped you. I have a-"

"A temper? I know. Actually, I think everyone in our class knows now." He says jokingly.

"Yeah." I say, cooled off now. My towel is starting to sag, so I start tightening it.

"So, will you marry me?" He asks again.

"Well..." I say, drawing out the word. This is a huge decision, so... What the hell. "Yes."

Cato grabs my face, bringing me to him and kissing me. But, all to soon, pulls away. He slips the ring onto my right ring finger. "Has anyone else seen this ring?" He asks. I shake my head, signalling him to go on. "Okay. Since there isn't really a place to get an engagement ring in 13, you can use this. Or not. Your decision."

"Okay." I say, looking at the ring. "You know, that's weird. There's a place to get hair dye, but not rings? Stupid. Rings are more important than hair color."

"That is weird." He says getting up.

"Where are you going?" I ask, standing up after him.

"No where. Just going to sit on the bed." he says, smiling.

He takes a seat against the wall, pulling me down with him. He sets me in between his legs, wrapping his arms around my waste. I lean into him, taking in his scent. He smells good; like the mountains in District 2. Not like all that gross cologne boys wear now-a-days. Just natural. 100% Cato.

He kisses my forehead lightly, rests his cheek on my forehead, then takes a deep breathe. "We're getting married."

"Indeed." I say very matter-of-factly. "And I feel like the luckiest woman in the world."

"What happened to you being mad at me?" He asks, craning his neck to look at me.

"Who cares? We're getting married!" I whisper/yell.

Cato chuckles, nuzzling his face into my neck. I snuggle into him, forgetting the world. Easy task. But... Not when Johanna is in the room. She starts giggling, giving herself away. My mouth drops open, along with Cato's. Her laughing gets louder, waking Effie. I throw my hands up, rolling my eyes then getting up to asphyxiate Jo. She squeals, resulting in laughing even harder. _Who would have thought that possible?_

"Oh, shut up already! You're like a toy in Walmart that you can't get to _shut up_!" I say, picking up her pillow and beating her with it. By now she is not even making noise. Just awkwardly convulsing. "What's so funny any way?!"

Johanna tries to stop laughing, trying to take deep breathes, but, of course, just laughs harder. She flips onto her stomach, banging her sheets with her left palm. I sigh and put my hands on my hips. She stops laughing, looking up at me with big eyes.

"What's funny?" She stops for dramatic effect. "You just slapped him and now you're curling up on his lap!" She starts laughing, stops suddenly, and says, "You're weird."

I hear snickering behind me. I swing my body around, facing Effie's bed. _She's_ laughing to?! I don't know why this is so fucking funny! "What?!"

She instantly straightens up, putting up her hands and saying, "Nothing."

"Gaahhh! Go to sleep!" I yell.

I stomp back over to Cato, sitting down next to him. I cross my arms, my face burning red. Cato turns to me, opening his mouth to say something but then closing it. _Guess he figured now isn't the time to say some snarky comment._

**Cato's POV**

I fight back a laugh, knowing all I would get in return is a slap from Clove. This is scene is just... _Bizarre? Hahaha!_ It makes no sense but it is completely hilarious for a reason unknown to man. _Great way to put it._

"Why don't we go for a walk?" I ask Clove.

"Yes, thank god." She says.

We stand up, causing Johanna and Effie to exchange devious looks. I roll my eyes, grabbing Clove's hand and leaving the room.

We slowly walk down our class hall, hand in hand. We make rounds, talking about nothing in particular until it gets down to if we want to tell any one about our engagement. Clove thinks we should, announce it at school tomorrow or something, but I think we should wait until we have decided on a date, whether it will be in the Great Hall or just a small thing with our friends.

"I think everyone should know so that they can know whether or not they will be able to go." Clove says, talking with her hands.

"How will they know if we don't even have a date?" I argue.

Clove sighs, then says, "I don't know. When do you want it to be?"

I think a moment, then decide. "Today."

**Yeah... I know I said it would be up a couple of days ago, but I had a serious case of writer's block. And as you can see, a few days have passed since I started the chapter. I finally am done moving, everything is at my new house. But, we are going to be moving again in a month or two, because we can't live with my mom's boyfriend forever. We are going to be in this same town, though.**


	17. Dirty Bastard

**Hello, Lovelys! Yes, yes. Another chapter. It happens once every thousand years, but, no, I'm not abandoning this story. I'm listening to techno to get me pumped. Enjoy!**

"Cato, it's one in the morning." I say, rather snottily if I might add.

"Well, I said 'today', not 'right now'." He points out. I grunt, crossing my arms and cocking my hip. "Come on. Why not?"

"I didn't say that I didn't want to," I counter.

He smiles, and then surprises me by picking me up and spinning me around. I start laughing and telling him to put me down, but secretly loving it. His strong arms around me make me feel secure, safe from the Capital. But, truth is, you're never safe.

"You cheating bastard!" I hear a girl suddenly yell from - Marvy's room.

"What was that?" Cato asks setting me back down, only moments before Katniss storms out of Marvy's room, holding Marvel by his ear with one hand and several photos in the other. "Oh, well. I guess it was that." Cato says, gesturing to the pair.

We watch as Katniss continues yelling at the poor boy, the reason still unknown. It isn't long until we figure out what's going on. And the rest of the hall does too, seeing as how loud Katniss is yelling. Marvy is cheating on Katniss with some chick, and she found his stash of photos. Wait- that's _me._ I'm in the photos. What. The. Fuck.

"Why have you been _stalking_," Katniss says, spitting out the word. "Clove? You're sick."

"I didn't do anything! I swear!" Marvel protests.

"You're lying!" Katniss screams before kicking his balls. Marvel cries out, hands going to his crotch. "I hope you can't have kids now. God forbid you re-spawn." She says before throwing the pictures on the ground and storming to her and Annie's room. Everyone is left standing there in awe, before returning to their rooms muttering accusations and confusion.

I wait until people are gone before picking up the pictures, show them to Cato, and watch his face change. "I fucking knew it." He mutters under his breath, staring down Marvel, who is still on the ground.

"Knew what?" I ask looking into his blue eyes, blue eyes that are full of hatred.

Cato looks back to me, eyes instantly softening. "That he has a thing for you. Creep. I never liked the way he looked at you."

"That gives me chills. Ugh. I have to go check on Katniss." I say, rubbing my arms and heading to her room.

I slowly walk to the door, cracking it open to see Katniss and Annie sitting on Katniss' bed. Katniss is crying, Annie is trying to comfort her. "Katniss? Can I come in?" I ask gingerly.

Katniss doesn't look up, just wipes her eyes and nods. I open the door more and slide through. I walk to where they are sitting, then sit on the ground at their feet. I put my hand on Katniss' knee, trying to comfort her.

"Marvel is scum." Katniss mutters. Annie and I show our agreement, waiting for more words. "I was trying to find his flashlight for him, cause we were trying to compare eye colors, and what I found was not a flashlight. I found pictures of you, Clove! And it was creepy. They were taken with one of the Polaroid cameras we brought from 11." She says, sniffling. "My own boyfriend was stalking one of my friends! And who knows what he did with the pictures when he was alone!" She exclaims.

"He doesn't deserve a girlfriend if he's going to do that." Annie says.

I agree, nodding my head with a disgusted look plastered on. Not a fake face, I am genuinely grossed out.

"It just goes to show how messed up people's fantasies can be." Katniss says. "Huh! Fantasies about my friend! What a dick. And you know what's messed up?" She asks, but doesn't wait for us to answer. "He didn't even have a flashlight in his bag." _So he wanted her to find the- What the fuck!_

"What the hell?" Annie says, throwing her hands in the air.

"I know right?" I say.

"Dirty bastard." Katniss says, staring into space.

"Clove, you should get back to Cato."Annie suddenly says. But, she's right. Marvel is still out there in the hall and as far as I know so is Cato. So, I nod.

In the hall, Cato stands facing across the way, fists clenched; yet Marvel is no where to be seen. I am unfazed by that fact though, as I am momentarily hypnotized by Cato's rippling muscles. The way they show through the thick grey material of his uniform makes him all the more- _more... more... more man, mature. Not the 18 year old he is. _His head is lowered, the flickering florescent light giving the simple pose an eery vibe. The kind of vibe you only get from slasher movies. His blonde hair is messy, making him and the whole seen seem like I am staring at creepy/adorable/sexy boy/man. _That's a mouthful._

Finally, I find my voice. "Cato?" I ask quietly.

He turns his head to the side, though keeps his body still. "Hmm?"

"Where's... Where's Marvel?" I ask innocently.

"He scampered off to his room." Cato says this, slightly smirking. I look at his clenched fists, and realize he his holding the picture Katniss through down, and... something snaps. I lunge forward, swiping the photo. Before I am even thinking about what I am doing, I hear Cato yell in surprise.

I turn holding the photo. I hear Cato walk up and look over my shoulder. The picture is of me, eating lunch. It is a Polaroid, so I would have heard it. Wait, didn't I already look at the photos? This wasn't one of them. I turn the picture over, my heart instantly sinking.

"November 16th, power out. Wait- isn't that when the power outage happened?" Cato asks. I nod my head, and Cato continues to read from over my shoulder. "November 20th, poison lunch. Oh my- today is the 20th! He's going to poison the food!" Cato roars.

"Wait, wait. Why would he write it down and have Katniss find it?" I counter.

"What?" Cato asks, clearly not on the same page.

"Katniss told me that when she found the pictures, she was looking for a flashlight in Marvel's back pack. He had asked her to. But, Marvel didn't bring one back from 11. The only electrical thing he brought was a Polaroid camera. So he obviously _wanted Katniss to find them_." I explain, catching my breath after.

"Why would he want her to?" Cato asks.

I take a deep breath, then answer. "I have no idea."

**I'm soooooooooooo sorry I haven't updated. Holidays are very busy times for me, and I was working on my book, and- it got away from me. I have barely even had time to read any books! **


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